Nov 2 Dear Teacher...

Every time I walk into a Staples and I see wondering parent with stuff in their hands having a tough exchange with their kid I think of this...Wouldn't it be wonderful if come every August there was a way that Teachers and Parents could come together to make the beginning of the school year smoother?

Wouldn't it be great if we as parents could get a heads up and not have to scramble to Staples after the first day of school?

If we could put together a handout sheet of what would make things easier for both sides, what would you put on that list?

One of the best things to happen to me in my school years with my daughter was the Supply list that would be mailed to us every end of August from her elementary school in Astoria, Queens NYC.
For several years, it was so stress free.
We would get the list by grade, go purchase the supplies, put away and done.
By the time the first day of school rolled around, her book bag was packed and ready to go.
No guessing, no wasting money no forgetting or running out of.

Once she was in school her teacher would then send another list that included hygiene needs for the classroom.
Each child bought pack of paper towels, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, box of tissues, Ziploc bags, paper plates, plastic cups, utensil box, etc...
These would be locked away in class storage for the kids use during school year. It would be a pretty good stash if you had at least 20 kids per class.
That covered class parties, accidents and so forth. Every teacher was different every grade list was different but it was a great help for school year.
Fewer things needed to be replaced or restocked once school year started.

If I had to work on a handout sheet for Teachers and Parents this is what I would put on it:
I would address by grades and subject.
-notebooks
-loose leaf
-pens
-pencils
-homework pad
-carrying case
-arts & crafts supplies (listed specific items by age and grade)
-ruler
-binders
-dividers
-lunch bag (do's and dont's)
-snack items
-hygiene needs list

What did I miss? How would your list differ? Does your child's school make the start of your school year easier or are you stressed?

P.S. I sure hope the parent that inspired my post today came out of Staples with her sanity. That poor woman was not enjoying being their and her kid wasn't helping any. Apparently they have a project to work on and were stuck in the isles with colored pencils, crayons and poster paints. Who knew so many choices could be a problem, Crayola what have you done! lol.